Do your job...and what do you get?

From The Arizona Daily Star:


Tucson Region
School arrest puts TUSD librarian on paid leave
By George B. Sánchez
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.30.2008

A Tucson Unified School District librarian has been on paid leave for three months, after he was arrested for trespassing at a middle school.

Richard Choquette, 52, refused to leave Valencia Middle School, 4400 W. Irvington Road, on Feb. 28, one day after he was put on administrative leave for putting a student in an empty room to isolate her from her classmates. Choquette confirmed what two reports from the Pima County Sheriff's Department say: that deputies were called about the incident and he was arrested on campus.

District officials wouldn't comment on the incident because Choquette's criminal trial is pending. He earns $64,535 annually, excluding benefits, said Karen Bynum, a TUSD spokeswoman.

Choquette doesn't deny isolating the student as a disciplinary and academic tactic.

"Over nine years, I've done it hundreds of times," he said.

Nor does he deny trespassing, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of four months in jail and a $750 fine, said Paul Gattone, his attorney.

As a member of Valencia's site council, Choquette said it was his right to attend the council's meeting the day he was arrested, despite the administrative leave, which mandates he stay away from the campus, students, parents and staff.

"Those meetings are open to the public," Gattone said. "In any case, he had a right to be there."

Still, according to the Sheriff's Department reports, Choquette did not seemed surprised at the presence of deputies.

"You guys are probably here because I'm supposed to not be here," he is quoted as saying.

The deputies gave him the opportunity to leave and receive a citation instead of going to jail.

The report continues:

"Mr. Choquette advised me that he believed that he was going to make a statement by going to jail. He stated that he knows that it may be a personal sacrifice on his part, but he believed that he was going to capitalize on this situation and he was going to make money off of this because he was being treated very wrongly," the report states.

Choquette was placed on leave because a female student complained about him, stating she was locked in a closet. He said she was not locked in a closet but placed in a meeting room within the library. The room cannot be locked, he said.
A student would be placed in the room, the librarian said, to keep classes in order and give the young person an individual reading space. The student in question was verbally disruptive that day, he recalled. She wasn't the only one, he added.

"On Monday, the day of that incident, there were several other students that had to be removed to isolated areas," he said.

Asked if the principal, or other administrators, knew of the tactic, Choquette said:
"I don't see how they couldn't. I had been using it as a routine measure."

But the practice is unacceptable, said Chyrl Hill Lander, another TUSD spokeswoman.
"We expect our students to be supervised at all times," she said. "It is not appropriate to separate kids into empty rooms when there's no adult supervision."

The student was part of a class in the library that day, Choquette recalled, and her teacher was aware that the girl was placed in a room by herself. That the teacher was not disciplined causes Choquette to believe he is being targeted by TUSD administrators.

By his own admission, this isn't the first accusation against him. In 2001, he said, he was accused of assaulting a student, though he said there was insufficient evidence to support the claim.

Despite his problems with administrators and students, Choquette said he is "passionately devoted" to teaching. Since he has been on administrative leave, he said he has been researching free-speech rights as they apply to public schools and public employees, what he calls "principal abuse" and student discipline. Choquette has contributed numerous guest opinions to the Arizona Daily Star's editorial page.
Even if he is convicted of trespassing, Choquette said he expects to return to work in the TUSD.

● Contact reporter George B. Sánchez at 573-4195 or at gsanchez@azstarnet.com.

_____________________________________________________

Do I need to say more?

This man is doing his job, teaching children who want to be taught.

He is removing those who dont want to be taught.

Whats the problem?

This is an outrage.

OUT FLIPPING RAGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From Stop the ACLU, we get this story. I hope the original author doesnt mind me plagiarizing her article....she says it all:

Sex and the Cafeteria: Teaching Middle-Schoolers How to Have Good Sex

Posted on May 29, 2008

Wow, things have sure changed since I went to school.

Middle-schoolers at Fort Herriman Middle School in Utah had a, well, interesting lesson plan waiting for them which made their parents furious. They were taught all about sex! Europe, here we come…

A middle school health teacher is under investigation, accused of teaching too much about sex.

Parents say the teacher is saying crude and explicit things that don’t belong in the classroom. Dewayne Smith says, “These are our children, and we’re not going to breach the firewall of innocence.”

Parents say sex education went too far inside the classroom full of 8th-graders at Fort Herriman Middle School. Suzanne Johnson told us, “She explained how the teacher talked about masturbation. Girl masturbation, boys, the wrong ways … the right ways to have sex, the wrong ways to have sex. How long to make it last. I mean, disgusting.”

“What bothered me is that, not only did we get into discussions of masturbatory activity, but we got into explicit descriptions of homosexual acts,” Smith said.

Parents say the teacher also showed students fliers with explicit cartoon images.

Seventh-grader Marissa Poloei had a friend in the class. She told us, “He thought it was gross and stuff, and she showed a lot of pictures of stuff.”

A spokesperson for the Jordan School District would not comment on the allegations but said there is an investigation. The teacher has been put on administrative leave, but parents don’t think that’s enough.

Johnson says, “We want her fired. We want her never to teach ever again.”

Some of the parents plan to meet with administrators at the school tomorrow. They’ve invited Rep. Carl Wimmer to attend.

Again, the district said it cannot comment on personnel issues. We were not able to contact the teacher for her side of the story.

Kinda reminds me of this ad I used to remember seeing for Sex and the City, except it was the four women when they were middle-schoolers. I couldn’t find it on YouTube, but it was basically Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha as adolescent girls, already gossiping together and already in their cliched roles.

Is that what this teacher was trying to do? Is that what this class was supposed to be? I can just see this being the newest show on MTV: Sex and the Cafeteria. How to have good sex when you’ve just hit puberty and can barely get it up or really understand what it is you’re doing.

The parents have every right to be outraged, and that teacher — if everything the parents are saying is accurate, and I don’t doubt that it is — should be fired. And let me just say this: unlike a lot of conservatives, I actually don’t have a problem with some sexual education. In my high school, we were required to take it (I had it around my junior year). But it was absolutely nothing like what this teacher is teaching. If anything, sex ed was really a huge scare tactic. We were taught in terrifying detail about what different kinds of STDs there are, and what exactly they would do to you. We were taught about what different kinds of birth control were out there, how they worked, what the potential risks to your body were, and how effective they were. Always the teacher stressed that the best way to keep yourself free from STDs and to not get pregnant was to remain abstinent, because even using a condom and birth control was not always foolproof. Best of all, we were told about the emotional and psychological effect having sex when you aren’t ready (read: TOO YOUNG) could be, and how devastating it can be. Like I said, that class scared the bejesus out of me. I lived in fear that if I had sex, I would get pregnant, contract syphillis, and be depressed all at the same time. That class never once said that abstinence was the best answer — it stressed personal choice — but it covered every possible base that there was when it came to possible consequences. The attitude was that if you’re going to do it, you need to be prepared for the risk you’re taking.

And you know, I don’t really have a problem with a program like that — for high-schoolers. I thought it was age-appropriate and made perfect sense. In fifth grade, my sex-ed class consisted of splitting the boys and girls into two different classes. I have no idea what the boys were taught, but we were basically told what would be happening soon, and mainly centered around what our monthly visits from Aunt Flo would be like. Again, no arguments from me here.

But this? Explaining to children how to have sex well, how to make it last longer, how to masturbate, what different kinds of homosexual acts you can practice… that’s just outrageous. The fact that children are being taught these kinds of things says a lot about where we are as a society today. Children are no longer allowed to be children. They’re being asked to grow up and handle adult decisions at earlier and earlier ages, while their parents and teachers either look the other way or encourage them. These are children. Let them enjoy their childhood and innocence and naivete and idealism while they can. They don’t need to be informed about the many different kinds of sexuality that exist and then encouraged to go out and practice. That’ll lead them down a dark, lonely road which will inevitably lead to a lot of anger, cynicism, and bitterness.

I seriously wonder why it is that so many adults seem to want to rush children into adulthood. I really just don’t understand it. Yesterday I asked if they were just living vicariously. I really do think that excuse is grasping at some pretty frail straws, but this entire debacle about teaching kids to have sex boggles my mind, just like dressing your sixteen-or-under little girl like a porn star boggles my mind.

Really, with this case, one of the parents summed it up best:

These are our children, and we’re not going to breach the firewall of innocence.

Glad to see that there are still some parents out there that understand that.

_______________________________________________________

Agreed on all points. This teacher MUST be fired.

There is a line between visual or mental pornography and educating young people on the risks, benefits and side effects of sex.

This teacher is a closet pervert and should be removed.

Obama Sees Dead People

This man is a total boob

No doubt




"On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes — and I see many of them in the audience here today — our sense of patriotism is particularly strong."

HT To Stop the ACLU

Memorial Day: Remembering Those Who Died - The Political Jungle: Moonbats Beware

Memorial Day: Remembering Those Who Died - The Political Jungle: Moonbats Beware

Ideas welcomed and appreciated

Hi everyone.

Now that Nick has accepted the offer and posted, we are looking for ideas on what to rename this blog.

Obviously, Liberalism is a Mental Disorder is no longer appropriate as there will be liberal and conservative politics discussed here.

I am making this a top post for a couple of weeks and I encourage you to leave comments as to what to name the blog.

I want everyone to know that you .. the reader .. are what makes this blog .. and its your opinions and feedback which keeps us going. So take advantage of the opportunity being presented to you right now and give some feedback :)

The Future's Looking Blue

Looking at several trends, I am convinced that the future is looking Blue. Things are looking good for Senator Obama being our next president. Furthermore, we are at the beginning of a cycle of Democratic dominance in national politics that should last at least until 2040. I know, I know, the whole thing sounds presumptuous, right? But these things happen. It is common in American politics for a political party to hold a long period of dominance. And after considering a few crucial trends, I’m confident for my party.

Generations
Most of my post is based off of information by the historians Strauss and Howe, from their book Generations, but other authors
To start, we’re all members of a distinct generation of people, whose outlook on life has been shaped by shared experiences like Pearl Harbor, the Hippie Movement (and the wider Consciousness Revolution that followed), and the 9/11 attacks. Due to these shared experiences, and the dispositions and attitudes of our elders, certain trends among the generations emerge. More specifically, there is a cycle of 4 types of generations.The four types of generations are Idealistic, Reactive, Civic, and Adaptive. An Idealistic generation is one that young in life causes a social/spiritual revolution. These are the Baby Boomers of the hippie movement, and the people who started the religious Great Awakening, for instance. The Reactive generations are usually the “lost” generations, like Hemmingway’s Lost Generation, and Generation X. The Civic generations are the ones who are the young adults during a great physical threat. They usually help defeat a great physical crisis. The soldiers in WWII, the troops of the American Revolution, and the current youth generation (the Millennial Generation) are all Civic Generations. The Adaptive generations are the ones who grow up as the over-sheltered children during a large crisis. This is the Silent Generation of people who were children during WWII. Now each generation has many unique characteristics, but I’m ignoring most of them since we’re focusing on politics alone.The Idealistic and the Civic generations are known as “dominant” generations. These generations, when they enter the political scene, often decisively tip the balance of power, and usually help cause realigning elections. The idealistic boomers have largely tipped power to the GOP, while the civic Greatest Generation was responsible for FDR’s landslides. I’m straying away examples further in the past, because I don’t think most of the people here know too much about McKinley’s victory over Bryan, and it saves me the trouble of explaining the civil war hiccup. But regardless, generations often have distinct voting patterns. Many of the Greatest Generations were democrats until they died, and the few still alive generally still are. When the Millennials enter the electorate in large number, they’re going to tip the balance either one way or another. To do this, a candidate to help push them in the right (left?) direction greatly helps. That's not to say people won't change their leanings in time, but certain core underpinnings stay the same. And there are always outliers. These are just for broad trends in society; there will always be people who go against the grain.Obama, with his wild popularity among Millennials, might be such a candidate. His stance on many issues is most in line with Millennials. The general theme of his campaign resonates with many voters who are too young to really remember much of the 80’s and 90’s, big event speaking, and don’t remember the battles of the 60’s and 70’s at all. He definitely stands a chance of making the Millennials Democrats, especially after so many years of Bush. Most young voters agree with Obama on issues like the war, climate change, social security, and health care.Now keep in mind it isn’t set in stone. A candidate from the Republicans could realign the Millennials too. The Republicans were dominant from 1860 to 1932 largely because McKinley realigned the electorate after Lincoln realigned the electorate. However, I don’t think McCain is that candidate. The only candidates in the field that I thought could have realigned the map were Giuliani and Paul. Of course, Paul would have had to break 10% in elections to realign the map, but the potential was there.Ok, there’s a quick and dirty rundown of generational theory. On to our next trend:

Demographics

While putting around the internet I came across this article. I know it's from a left-wing blog, and thus not everyone on this site will immediately not take it seriously, but its worth looking at. I've checked most of the statistics they've cited before, and the numbers look about right.

http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=5667

[Quote] I also encourage you to think about the role of the Democratic Party in the United State for a moment. Consider the following:* African-Americans support Democrats by about an 8-1 ratio. All 42 African-American members of the House and Senate are Democrats.* The LGBT community supports Democrats by about a 3-1 ratio. Both of the LGBT members of Congress are Democrats. * Non-Christians support Democrats by a 3-1 ratio. Both Buddhists and both Muslims in Congress are Democrats. Only three of the 43 Jewish members of the House and Senate are Republicans. . I'm also going to take a guess here and state that there are no publicly declared atheists Republicans in Congress.* Latinos support Democrats by more than a 2-1 ratio. Twenty-one of the twenty-five Latino members of Congress are Democrats.* More than 60% of Asian-American voters choose Democrats. All eight of the Asian-American members of Congress are Democrats.But wait, there's more! Union members, single women, and whites who self-identify their religion as either "none" or "other" than the main world denominations also vote for Democrats by more than 2-1 margins. (The "nones" are more than 3-1). Even the nerds vote for Democrats, as 58% of those with post-graduate degrees support Dems. (You can find sources for all of the voting statistics citing so far here, here, and here.)[/quote]

Really, what it comes down to is that the Republican Party is increasingly the party of white Christian males, and the Democratic Party is the party of everyone else. This could have important and interesting ramifications in this country as it becomes more and more varied. Specifically, the demographic base of the Republican Party will become a smaller part of the electorate. And thanks to the know-nothing elements in the Republican Party, it is going to be hard for the GOP to expand much further into the one demographic they can really expand into: Latinos.

Conclusion
Now keep in mind that these trends are just that: trends. Things can change drastically over time. Who ever thought that the Republicans would be based in the south, and that California would be Democratic stronghold? Who would have ever thought that blacks would be voting against the Party of Lincoln? But I don’t think that things will deviate from my predictions all that much.

Alright, I’ve done my part, I’ve written my first real post. Now it’s your turn! Validate all my hard work- leave a comment telling me how wrong/right/awesome/handsome I am!

Welcome to The Socialist Republic of California......

Where your vote doesnt matter according to the legislators on the bench (read judges)

From Yahoo News:



By LISA LEFF, Associated Press Writer 1 minute ago

SAN FRANCISCO - In a monumental victory for the gay rights movement, the California Supreme Court overturned a voter-approved ban on gay marriage Thursday in a ruling that would allow same-sex couples in the nation's biggest state to tie the knot. Domestic partnerships are not a good enough substitute for marriage, the justices ruled 4-3 in striking down the ban.

Outside the courthouse, gay marriage supporters cried and cheered as the news spread.

Jeanie Rizzo, one of the plaintiffs, called Pali Cooper, her partner of 19 years, and asked, "Pali, will you marry me?"

"This is a very historic day. This is just such freedom for us," Rizzo said. "This is a message that says all of us are entitled to human dignity."

In the Castro, historically a center of the gay community in San Francisco, Tim Oviatt started crying while watching the news on TV.

"I've been waiting for this all my life," he said. "This is a life-affirming moment."

The city of San Francisco, two dozen gay and lesbian couples and gay rights groups sued in March 2004 after the court halted the monthlong wedding march that took place when Mayor Gavin Newsom opened the doors of City Hall to same-sex marriages.

"Today the California Supreme Court took a giant leap to ensure that everybody — not just in the state of California, but throughout the country — will have equal treatment under the law," said City Attorney Dennis Herrera, who argued the case for San Francisco.

The challenge for gay rights advocates, however, is not over.

A coalition of religious and social conservative groups is attempting to put a measure on the November ballot that would enshrine laws banning gay marriage in the state constitution.

The Secretary of State is expected to rule by the end of June whether the sponsors gathered enough signatures to qualify the marriage amendment, similar to ones enacted in 26 other states.

If voters pass the measure in November, it would trump the court's decision.

California already offers same-sex couples who register as domestic partners the same legal rights and responsibilities as married spouses, including the right to divorce and to sue for child support.

But, "Our state now recognizes that an individual's capacity to establish a loving and long-term committed relationship with another person and responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual's sexual orientation," Chief Justice Ron George wrote for the court's majority, which also included Justices Joyce Kennard, Kathryn Werdegar and Carlos Moreno.

In a dissenting opinion, Justice Marvin Baxter agreed with many arguments of the majority but said the court overstepped its authority. Changes to marriage laws should be decided by the voters, Baxter wrote. Justices Ming Chin and Carol Corrigan also dissented.

The conservative Alliance Defense Fund says it plans to ask the justices for a stay of their decision until after the fall election, said Glen Lavey, senior counsel for the group.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has twice vetoed legislation that would've granted marriage rights to same-sex couples, said in a news release that he respected the court's decision and "will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn this state Supreme Court ruling."

More hypocrisy from the left

Obama Is The Anti-Christ - The Political Jungle: Moonbats Beware

Grab your tissues

If this blog does not touch your heart, you have no business caring about anything.

Leave a comment for her. Shes a brave little girl.

LOL

I just mosied over to technorati to check what is new about the tags on my blog.

Notice the tag words over to the right that are the biggest

Makes a statement, no?

LOL

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9/11 Truthers And Moonbats Are Clinically Insane - The Political Jungle: Moonbats Beware

Update on Obamas 57 states

Stop the ACLU has some more information on Barrack HUSSEIN Obamas idiotic blunder


'Notice the second paragraph at the International Humanist and Ethical website here, first sentence, where it says:

the Organization of the Islamic Conference, representing the 57 Islamic states, '

Can someone tell me what is wrong with this picture?

Click the pic to make it bigger and pay attention





Sometimes people who write headlines and related stories just dont pay attention....Look at the kid then the sub headlines next to it

UGH

Some say its fatigue.....................

I say its pure ignorance...you dont accidentally mis-speak the number of states which was taught to you in elementary school and reinforced all thru your education years

No excuses, the man is ignorant

Wow, I get my own titles and everything!

Well, seeing as I’ll be a new contributor around here, I guess I should probably introduce myself. My name’s Nick, though I suspect I’ll need a snappy nickname. I was born in a log cabin deep in the back woods of… no wait, never mind. That was Abraham Lincoln. I’m from Sacramento, CA. Some people know it as the capital of California; some people know it as that place with the bathrooms between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe. I am only 20, a bit on the young side, but I hope you won’t hold it against me. I’m currently working on a degree in Political Science at the local community college and working deep in the bowels of the local water park Sales Department, where I am a valued employee. (Meaning, I have everything filed away so wonky that they can’t fire me since I’m the only person who knows where everything is.) When I’m not bickering over politics or heckling LIAMD, I’m into zombie and monster movies, video/RPG games, splitting rails (wait, that’s Lincoln again!), civil war reenacting, sword fencing, and general awesomeness. I live in a cramped apartment with a small brooding black cat, a pet hamster, and my girlfriend (who is definitely not Abraham Lincoln).

As for my political beliefs: I think the best way to describe them is Pragmatic New Deal Progressive. I am a large believer that society, through the government, should try to make sure everyone has their basic needs met. I do understand that the government can go too far, and that a middle needs to be found, but I’m not exactly libertarian. I am also socially progressive on most issues, though there are a few issues where I’m more convoluted and moderate on (abortion). But I’m always willing to hear out the other side. Unless they’re scientologists. Religiously, I was raised Jehovah’s Witness, but have since turned far away from it and am a very lax Episcopalian. If you ever feel like contacting me, my AIM is “the makeout hobo”. If you want to know anything else, just ask. I should be putting up my first real post in a day or two.

Welcome to our newest co-blogger Nick

Just wanted everyone to know that Nick has accepted the offer to be a co-author on this blog. Look for a name change and new intro in the near future.

As I type, Nick is pounding out an introductory post. I look forward to having a different opinion on this blog and we are in the process of working out ground rules and a new name, so look for a post in the near future to help us decide the new name...yes you, dear reader, will get input on where this goes.

So, welcome Nick!

And they say that Fox News isnt Liberal...PEESHAW

News Media Gone Too Far? - The Political Jungle: Moonbats Beware

I have an idea

I have been thinking of taking this blog in a different direction. No, not away from politics.

I am just throwing this out there and want to see what people think, so read and leave your comments.

There is a commenter who comes to my blog by the name of Nick. He is a nice enough guy, though a little misguided as a liberal, lol. He always presents his ideas and opinions respectfully and guided by his facts.

I have been playing with the idea of making him, if he is interested, a co-contributor to this blog, just to have a divergent view around here.

I think this would increase traffic, allow a balanced view of everything and spark debate and dialogue which is my primary focus on here.

What do you think?

This will be a non-idea if Nick decides to decline my offer. So speak up Nick!

Always a good time

Watch Mackers world mess with Code Pinko:

Obama - Wright wrapup

Want to know what is going on with the Barrack Hussein Obama and Rev Wright relationship? Sweetness & Light has been all over it from the beginning.

If only the mainstream media would do as thorough a job divulging information as Sweetness & Light does, we might know a LOT more about Obamas agenda.

Flanders Fields: The Illegitimate Citizens

Flanders Fields: The Illegitimate Citizens

May Day Amnesty Bollocks - The Political Jungle: Moonbats Beware

May Day Amnesty Bollocks - The Political Jungle: Moonbats Beware